Summer half-marathon won't leave Batavia

Complaints about road closures lead to route changes

A half-marathon in Batavia is back on, after some disagreement between city officials and race organizers about whether the race should continue on downtown streets.

Earlier this year, Batavia city staff told race organizer Danny Delgado that this August's Peapod half-marathon would need to be routed primarily along the Fox River Trail, instead of on city streets.

According to a memo to city council members, residents — especially church-goers — complained about the road closures last year, and staff said the city was meeting its "saturation" level when it came to running events.

"It is the perspective of staff … that the area's ability to host these events, particularly events such as races and other 'high-impact' events is soon approaching a saturation point where the cumulative negative effects will outweigh the positives," wrote Jason Bajor, assistant city administrator, in a memo to city council members.

Charity 5Ks have proliferated in recent years, along with longer races, and cause a strain on city services and roads, Bajor said. The only other race that uses city streets — a Thanksgiving Day "The Fox and the Turkey" 4-mile race — was willing, with some "hesitancy," to move to the Fox River Trail when staff asked last year, Bajor wrote.

Delgado, who said this is the first time in five years he's heard of complaints, said he wouldn't keep the race in Batavia if it was primarily on the flat Fox River Trail, both because of safety and runner dissatisfaction with that kind of course.

"Without a doubt, we wouldn't have done (the race in Batavia)," Delgado said about if the proposed changes had been made.

Delgado, who lives in St. Charles but used to be a Batavia resident, maintains that the opportunity to showcase Batavia outweighs any negatives. With 1,300 to 1,500 racers, along with an average of two spectators per runner, there is a positive economic impact, he said.

"There's so much about Batavia people don't know," Delgado said. "Geneva and St. Charles, they are well-known for what they offer. This is a chance to showcase Batavia."

City council members largely agreed, when Delgado made his case before the city services committee. After hearing from both runners and spectators who spoke in support of the race, council members directed staff to work with Delgado to come up with a course that included some of Batavia's streets, said alderman Jim Volk, who chairs the city services committee.

They did ask that the race stay off Main Street as much as possible, he said, which he said may help alleviate the concerns of residents trying to get to church.

"It does bring a lot of people downtown, and it's a way to showcase our downtown," Volk said. "We directed staff to work with them to come up with a route."

If the two sides come to an impasse on the route, it'll come before the council again, he said.

The current Peapod Half Madness Half Marathon race route crosses routes 31 and 25, as well as running along Main Street and crossing Wilson Street, and runs through several portions of residential areas.

Delgado said he foots the bill for any police officers needed for the course, and he's hoping the city will provide more officers this year.